Sleeper – A Not So New but Yet New Character and the Books To Watch

Since Venom #17 and the spoilers we ran back on August 28th, it seems this Sleeper who made his first appearance in Venom #165 (some symbiote goop as jcLu liked to call it) and then

Could it be FOMO or genuine interest in this new character, either way, I feel these are some books we should keep an eye out for while hitting the shops and watching on the secondary market.

This next excerpt is from jcLu’s post (Thanks for the info to inspire this post) in the forums:

Sleepers 1st cover, by release date, is Venom First Host #4. First Host #3 is where we first see Sleeper as we now know him. Venom #165 is Sleepers 1st unnamed cameo appearance (symbiote spawn goop type thing, but Sleeper none the less). So, in conclusion, I believe these issues to be the ‘key’ Sleeper issues, and their respective significance (and im not sure if these are even debatable).

Venom #165 – 1st unnamed Sleeper Cameo Appearance

Venom First Host #3, 1st print – 1st Full unnamed Sleeper

Venom First Host #3, 2nd print – 1st Full unnamed Sleeper & 2nd Sleeper cover.

Venom First Host #4 – 1st Sleeper cover & 1st named Sleeper. (You can still find these at Midtown for cover price)

The market seems to have chosen Venom: First Host #3, 2nd print as ‘the’ book to have for the Sleeper character. This book is already flirting at the $100 mark now.

11 thoughts on “Sleeper – A Not So New but Yet New Character and the Books To Watch”

  1. VFH issue 3 second Print is a low print that is the only reason driving this book. Issue 4 is the First Cover Apperance and should get more Love then the second Print. I remember grabbing as many of the 165’s way back. There’s also a Amazing Spiderman Annual that actually had shown the new birth in it. Some Elite Military Team or other was after it. Can you confirm this?

    1. I do not believe that the information about an ASM annual having Sleepers birth is accurate. Sleepers conception is clearly shown and laid out in Venom #165.

      Here are the Sleeper Birth Panels from Venom 165.

      This is Venom discussing the discovery of the Sleeper Symbiote, just before birth, with the Doctor.

      Brock then rests as the Venom symbiote goes into ‘labor’.

      Eddie completely seperates from the Venom Symbiote, to let it do its thing.

      The Doc delivers the Sleeper symbiote Spawn, while Eddie fends off the Scorpion. This is, a far as I am aware, the very first time we Sleeper (circled in yellow in photo below).

      Scorpion is defeated and we see Sleeper again, on the very next page (again highlighted in yellow).

      And that, to the best of my knowledge, is Sleepers 1st unnamed cameo, as a symbiote spawn goop thingy.

  2. IF Sleeper becomes prominent the entire run of First Host has a bunch of second prints with him on the cover (# 3,4 &5). All low print run. Something to look out for. Low print on a new/popular character many times equals instant interest.

  3. there is a variant for #165 as well.reserching for hiddeng ems .all I know absulte carnage is amazing and all venom,carnage sleeper,toxin she venom books need to be snagged now marvel is becoming great again blind adam out

    1. Is this the Cover B your referring to? A collector was willing to trade me a Second Print Venom First Host issue 3 for a first print SDCC Venom 3. That was about a week ago…I’m sure that not going to happen with the Sleeper second Print reaching over 50+.

  4. I found these two gems in the back bins today, while at an ‘out of way’ LCS. Happy happy. Joy joy.

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